Eric Slack

Virtualized server environments: Potential risks present an opportunity

The drivers for virtualized server projects include simplifying the creation and management of server instances, consolidating the virtual machines on a few physical servers and providing overall flexibility. However, a shared storage infrastructure is needed to support basic functionality for the virtualized server environment: operations like VM and storage migration, as well as high availability and load balancing. Shared storage also enables off-host backup and a DR strategy. This storage virtualization can be implemented with a NAS platform or block-based iSCSI or FIbre Channel. Continued »

Automated tiered storage: Enabling SSD, intelligent archiving

In a recent post, we started talking about automated tiered storage and the technologies it involves. With the advent of solid-state storage, a “Tier 0” has been added above the current Tier 1, which has traditionally been fast disk (Fibre Channel or SAS). Given the price tag of SSD, leaving this new tier partially filled is cost-prohibitive. Automated tiering offers a mechanism to move data into and out of the SSD tier, but also a way to better utilize storage tiering in general compared with manually moving data between tiers.

Automated tiered storage puts the data movement decision closer to the storage, rather than on the application server, for example. This “data placement” decision is typically based on the activity level of the data. There are a few different ways automated storage tiering is being implemented, the first of which is within the disk array itself. Many of the major disk array manufacturers, as well as a number of smaller vendors, now offer some kind of data movement functionality in the storage controller. For most of these solutions, automated tiering software essentially tracks the access patterns of data blocks, LUNs or files and moves them to the most appropriate tiers of storage, including SSDs.

Intelligent caching appliances are another area of automated tiered storage that’s being driven by the need to effectively implement solid-state storage. Like the array-based solutions, these appliances dynamically more data up to faster tiers of storage, usually SSD or DRAM. These appliances can be connected to different vendors’ storage systems to provide a consolidated solution.

A third implementation of automated tiering is file virtualization. This technology usually resides in an appliance that sits on the storage network and manages access to files. The appliance can transparently move files among different storage subsystems that it’s connected to, usually based on access patterns. Like the caching appliance, this implementation can be used to create a multivendor, integrated solution.

The takeaway for VARs is that automated tiering is an up-and-coming technology, one that can generate a lot of interest in its own right. But it can also enable other solutions — like SSD, intelligent archiving and even cloud storage. Find out what the automated tiering capabilities are for the solutions you currently represent and understand where you may need to add another vendor.

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Two approaches to infrastructure management solutions: VM lifecycle and network traffic flow

I’ve always liked infrastructure management solutions, as products for VARs to sell. They have broad appeal, they promote higher-level discussions (rather than fulfillment) and they usually lead to other projects. Here are two we’ve seen recently. Continued »

The three keys to a good storage vendor partner

How do you pick a good storage vendor partner? Maybe you’ve seen or heard about their technology or had customers ask about it. But aside from their technology or solution, how do you know upfront if they’ll be a good vendor for you? Here are three things to think about, outside of product details, that can give you some insights into how a company that makes a great product will be as a storage vendor partner. Continued »

Tech Refresh: Automated tiered storage

Automated tiered storage isn’t a new concept — it’s been in archiving systems (HSM) as well as various iterations of information (or data) lifecycle management for years. It refers to the process of moving data between different classes, or tiers, of storage without human intervention. Storage tiering has been a cost saving strategy, mostly, and has typically been implemented with Fibre Channel or SAS drives on one tier, SATA drives on a second tier, and tape (if present) on a third tier. Archive systems moved data off high-speed disk to slow disk or tape when it became inactive and brought it back when it was needed.

Recently, solid-state disk (SSD) created another storage tier and brought a new application to automated tiered storage. Instead of moving less active data to slower, cheaper storage, systems now move more active data to faster, more expensive storage. This new wrinkle kind of ups the ante for storage tiering as a technology. Continued »

IT survey: Data protection solutions and services are prime target for VARs

Symantec last month published the latest edition of its State of the Data Center report. It’s got some interesting results for VARs, especially in the area of data protection solutions and services. Here are the top five findings of the survey: Continued »

The IT compass: Storage ‘point’ solutions that make sense

I mentioned in a previous post how IT seems to focus on point solutions and short-term tactical thinking, as opposed to the more long-term strategic kind, and how this is due in part to tighter budgets and the risk avoidance that’s called human nature. People are more comfortable making incremental changes than big, sweeping ones. They’re also more apt to get them funded. But when you’re focused on taking these smaller steps, how do you know if you’re going in the right direction? IT organizations have a compass that helps them understand which products will add value to their infrastructure.

The points on the compass are things like cost reduction, power consumption reduction, management simplification, utilization improvement, performance increase, etc. Continued »

IT reseller training, Part 2

In a post last month, I wrote an open letter to vendors in an attempt to improve on a long-standing issue that VARs have with their vendors: lousy product training sessions. In it, I offered some suggestions to vendors about how to make these meetings more effective. I brought the topic of IT reseller training up to some others who work with the VAR community and got some additional input, which I’d like to share in this and future posts. Continued »

Storage virtualization: Big storage thinking in a small package

IT folks tend to keep their heads down, focused on the problems at hand (fighting fires?). There seems to be less interest (or fewer resources) to take a more strategic approach to resolving issues. Short-term fixes that address symptoms win out over long-term solutions that address the bigger problems. This is the reality of lower budgets, but it’s also the aversion people have to change and the difficulty of getting complex projects approved. Point solutions are just more doable. But the fact remains that IT still needs some long-term thinking and not just a string of point solutions. And VARs need the kind of project work that longer-term thinking can generate. After all, fulfillment doesn’t pay the bills like real integration does. But how do you get customers to think beyond the next box they need — or think they need? Storage virtualization is good place to start. Continued »

Going through the motions on disaster recovery, compliance, green IT initiatives

“So much to know, so little time.” IT’s got a tough job. The average IT practitioner has to know enough about a very large number of subjects and technologies. I’ve heard the sys admin’s job described as being like a farmer: They’re out there on their own and have no one but themselves to rely on when something goes down. In reality, they have tech support for each of their systems and a number of user groups and on-line resources to use. But you get the point.

Management usually drives requirements for IT to be up to speed on a lot of things, like disaster recovery planning, regulations and compliance, green IT initiatives, etc. Due to a lack of time, resources, interest and/or a pressing need (“if it ain’t broke …”), IT folks just don’t get around to researching and learning all that they would like to — or all that they’re responsible for. So what happens? Continued »